“I! I heard you with my own ears.” “Why, you didn’t hear any such a thing! High! how could I tell such a lie as that, when it wa’n’t the truth?” Mrs. Garnet, in her turn, stared with such unbounded astonishment and incredulity, that the old lady took high offense, and exclaimed: “Well! upon my word! Next time it lightens, I shouldn’t wonder if you accused me of setting the clouds afire. Come! if you don’t b’lieve me, there’s the young gal herself. Go ask her now. She aint dying neither, no more ’an I am. She looks gashly as a corpse, to be sure, but Lord! I’ve seen her look that way afore, when she’d get into her tantrums long o’ her guardian or Hugh. Come! I’ll go;” and the old lady waddled precipitately across the room to the sofa, exclaiming wrathfully, “Miss Seabright! Garnet Seabright, I say! Now, did ever I tell you such a falsity as that you were General Garnet’s child?” Dr. Hutton started up from his kneeling posture, and stood staring at the excited old lady. Garnet sprang up from the cushions, and gazed at her face with all her soul in her eyes. “My goodness, child; don’t stare at me so wild! You’ll give me the fever ‘n’ ague. Answer my question.” Here Dr. and Mrs. Hardcastle were attracted to the scene of action. “Can’t you speak? Did ever I say you were General Garnet’s child?” “Did—you—not—say—so?” asked Miss Seabright, with life and death struggling in her bosom. “No! I did not say so. How could I tell such a lie, when it wasn’t the truth?” “And—he—was—not—my—father?” “I wish people wouldn’t be slandering of your poor, dear mother! poor, little, wild thing. She was distantly connected with myself.” “But,” said Elsie, interposing, “no one raised a doubt but yourself, Miss Joe, and we would like to hear you explain your words, that gave rise to all this trouble.” “Words! what words?” “The words you whispered to Miss Seabright when you passed through the room an hour ago.” “Oh! yes. Why, I telled her she might well have a share o’ the property, seein’ how she was General Garnet’s granddaughter.” “General Garnet’s granddaughter!” exclaimed everyone. “Yes. Don’t all talk to me at the same time, you ’fuse my head. I declare, if my heart aint as big as a batch of light dough, and my head goes round like a coffee-mill! That ’minds me of the breakfast—’deed it will get spoiled.” “But you did not tell her that she was General Garnet’s granddaughter. It was something else you told her,” said Elsie. “I—don’t ’fuse my mind. I don’t ’member what the words were, but that’s what the meaning was.” “I remember what the words were exactly,” said Elsie; “she said she was ‘his own flesh and blood.’”